Best spots on South Joran River to Utah Lake

[EleventhTower]

Hi all,

This is my first post on these forums and I wanted to say what a great resource you have here with some very dedicated members.

I am hoping that you might share some of your knowledge with me regarding the Jordan River and Channel Cats. I live in West Lehi and would like to go fishing after work without having to drive to far.

The closest access for the Jordan from my home is the old bridge on 1960 South, but really any access point from Thanksgiving Point down to the pump house at Utah Lake is acceptable for an after-work trip.

I haven't been fishing for a number of years, and even then I was not a good/educated fisherman. I would like that to change. Specifically, when going to the Jordan, there are only a few access points and near those access points there are always several casual fishers. Thsi isn't a problem, but because they are casual I think they are just fishing by the cars because it is convenient, not because it makes sense to fish right there.

The Jordan River Parkway does run right beside the river here so I can walk up and down the trail a bit to find a better spot to fish, but I am fat [crazy] and don't want to go too far since I'll be walking back in the dark.

I don't have a float-tube in case you are wondering. So the question at hand is are there known "good spots" to fish that you would share with me, or maybe tell me how to find a good spot along here. From what I can tell there should be several because the trees and reeds are all along the river (it is very under-developed on this area of the river). The water is too muddy for me to see below the surface, so I don't really know about the underwater terrain.

I'm just a newbie looking to get educated.

Thanks in advance for your responses.
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[cat_man]

I don't know if there is access or not, but before Thanksgiving Point existed, it was my friend's grandpa's farm, and we had a campout there and people caught lots of catfish, including mudcats and Channels. Carp too. It was a deep area. So, if there is a way to the water there, it should be good fishing.

I'd use worms with a sliding sinker rig and about a 4 - 5 foot leader. Use just enough weight to let it slowly drift downstream.

Good luck.
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[EleventhTower]

Thanks for the replay CM. I'll have to take a bike ride along the path and see if I can find the spot you are talking about.

I have been using the sliding sinker/Carolina rig and have had a lot of bites that resulted in a mixture of bullheads and small catfish (all less than 10 inches). We have also caught the occasional carp as well. I was hoping to catch some bigger channel cats that we could fillet and eat, but so far everything is too small.

I don't know if it's the spot we are fishing in, or the method with which I am fishing that is the problem, but so far we have spent about 10-15 hours down there (me and three kids) and have a total of about 20 fish between us. It's ok, but I have a feeling we could do better.
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[cat_man]

Well, pulling from my Utah Lake experience, if you want quantity, fish with worms -- I usually caught tons of bullheads and a few small channels that way. If I wanted to catch big cats, I fished with carp meat for bait. I almost never caught a bullhead with carp meat, so it could stay out there long enough for a big channel to grab it. You may catch fewer fish, but you'll be more likely to catch big channels.

TubeDude probably could help you with some more specific help, so you might want to PM him for some advice.
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[2fishon]

The area near the pumphouse and the rc airplane place is good catfishing. Use cutbait if you can. You can buy shiners or chub minnows at Sportsmans or Cabelas. Chicken livers or shrimp also work. Alot of people do well fishing on the bottom, but I have always done better for channels fishing cutbait under a bobber.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Welcome aboard. Hope we can help you.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The Jordan is an overlooked and under appreciated fishing resource. Lots of fish and good access along much of its length. However, the fishing at any given spot can change on a daily basis, depending upon water flows, clarity, etc. Most species will move up and down the river to find a spot that suits them...in terms of flow, food, etc. Sometimes you have to try a few spots to find where the fish are active on any given day, and sometimes you have to move if the fish turn off where you have been catching them.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]There is no substitute for spending a lot of time on the river and scouting out the holes and channels in the river, and figuring out how to fish each different situation. Others can tell you the general areas and even specific holes they have fished in the past, but you still have to learn them for yourself. Nothing automatic. But, to most of us, that is one of the fun aspects of fishing. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]As Kevin has suggested, your choice of baits can have an affect on what you catch and the size of the fish. The Jordan is full of small bullheads (mudcats) and white bass. They love worms and will often attack your offering before larger fish ever see it. If you don't hook the little ones they strip your bait. Soaking a larger chunk of carp meat, white bass meat, a whole minnow or a slab of sucker meat (if you can get it) will produce fewer bites but more bigger cats. Just be sure that the rest of your tackle is scaled accordingly. Use a stout rod, good line, a quality reel with a good drag and good sharp hooks big enough to hold both the bait and the bigger fish. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]After that, it is pretty much the "biblical system"...SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If you haven't already found it, you should also search out the "spillway" channel just south of the pumphouse on the side channel coming into the Jordan River from the main lake. The current there attracts lots of white bass and they attract walleyes and big cats. Snaggy at times but often good fishing. And, you can park in the little park (with restrooms) and it is only a short walk to the fishing.[/#0000ff]
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[EleventhTower]

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I know about the area down by the spill house, but haven't been there yet. I may have to try it out soon.

So far I have been fishing 3/0 Gamakatsu hooks with nightcrawlers. I should have been keeping the carp my kids catch for cutbait. I'll start doing that and see what results I get.

I have my kids fishing smaller rigging as quantity is the funnest aspect for them. I think they are content with their experience and are having a blast. I am just hoping to catch something large enough to eat every once in a while to complete the experience for us all.

I may have to take a trip or two without the kids and walk down the park way trail and find some alternative spots that might work. I was under the assumption that the channel cats were territorial and therefore being in a general area was more important than roaming. It sounds like I had incorrect ideas about that.

Thanks again for all your replies. I'll let you know how things go.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Channel cats ARE NOT territorial. They roam all over the place, looking for food and comfortable holding spots. However, you will find spots that CAN hold fish, and they often will. But, on any given day they might either be there...or not. And, like most fish, finding them is only half of the formula. You also have to get them interested in what you have to offer, Although cats are voracious feeders during warm weather, they do sometimes glut for a short time and then just lay there until they digest their meal. Find them in a feeding mode and it is great. A half hour later you would swear there are no fish in the river.[/#0000ff]
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